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FGW - Line blocked between Castle Cary & Taunton

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Essexman

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Anyone know more about this and if it will be cleared this morning?

http://www.journeycheck.com/firstgreatwestern

Line problem: between Taunton and Castle Cary.

Owing to a problem at a level crossing between Taunton and Castle Cary all lines are blocked.
Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 90 mins or diverted at short notice. Some stations between Taunton and Reading will not be served. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
Customer Advice:
Very limited road transport will operate between Taunton and Westbury in both directions calling at Castle Cary. Customers travelling to/from London from/to Devon & Cornwall are to travel via Bristol Temple Meads. Customers travelling to or from Pewsey are advised that a coach shuttle is operating between Swindon and Pewsey in both directions.
South West Trains services are conveying passengers between Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for First Great Western rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
Cross Country services are conveying passengers between Bristol Temple Meads and Penzance in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for First Great Western rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
I'm travelling Paddinton to Tiverton & back today.
Last time I did the same journey it was an hour late both ways due to signalling problems.
 
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tcm1106

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Anyone know more about this and if it will be cleared this morning?

http://www.journeycheck.com/firstgreatwestern

I'm travelling Paddinton to Tiverton & back today.
Last time I did the same journey it was an hour late both ways due to signalling problems.

A train has hit a car at Athelney Level Crossing. Likely to be blocked for a while I would imagine so it's probably best to go via Bristol and then XC to Tiverton Parkway.
 

Essexman

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I have a 1st advance ticket for the 11.06. Do you think I can get on any Bristol train in the circumstances. I'd rather do that than risk being put on a bus at Westbury.
 

High Dyke

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A problem at a level crossing is causing disruption between Taunton and Castle Cary.

Early reports are that a train has struck a car at a level crossing, emergency services are currently on site dealing with the incident.

Because of this, a very limited bus service is running between Taunton and Westbury, journey times may be extended by up to 90 minutes.

Customers travelling between London Paddington and Exeter are advised to travel via Bristol Temple Meads.

Passengers may use:

South West Trains between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids
CrossCountry between Bristol and Penzance

Twitter hashtag: #Taunton

To find out whether this will impact your journey and to get alternative options planned for you, please use the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner, or call TrainTracker on 0871 200 49 50.
Taken from National Rail service disruption pages
 
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Ferret

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This sounds like a bad one, the car is trapped under the power car, and the condition of the occupants is 'unknown'. Could be a long line blockage I'm afraid. Thoughts to all involved, the driver is reported as 'shaken', which is hardly surprising!
 

KA4C

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1A73 stuck car at Athelney, poss fatality in car, line will be shut for some time
 

asylumxl

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One dead in level crossing crash

21 minutes ago

One person has died after a train hit a car on a level crossing in Somerset.

The crossing is near Athelney, which is on the line between Taunton and Castle Cary.

The crash happened at about 06:30 GMT, rail operators said.

First Great Western said no train passengers were thought to have been injured in the crash. Stanmoor Road in Athelney is closed in both directions at the Cuts Road junction.

A limited bus replacement service is in place between Taunton and Westbury in both directions, calling at Castle Cary.

The information from the above link.
 

High Dyke

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Condolences to those who have lost a loved one; and sympathy to those that are also affected by this incident.

Looking at Google maps it could've been even more serious... travelling westbound immediately after the crossing there seems to be a rail over water bridge (low steel construction) with a gated crossing (UWC?) beyond that.
 

Requeststop

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I totally concur with the expressions of sympathy to all involved and add my condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

I have noticed that the Night Riviera to London has been diverted via Bristol and Swindon the last few nights. Has there been any engineering at night in the area?
 

Goatboy

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BBC now reporting the driver weaved around the already closed barriers :(
 

Missya1978

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And my child is currently on this train and has been stuck there for the last 3 hours!!! Thank god the only person killed was the one responsible for the whole tragedy!
 

ushawk

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Looks like all scheduled services are running but are diverted non-stop via Bristol - so the OPs service will run.
 

PhilipW

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It's a pity that Castle Cary -> Yeovil -> Honiton -> Exeter is not all double track so that it could be used as a diversionary route.

The curse of Beeching strikes again.
The bad decisions of years ago still come back to haunt us.
 

tsr

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And my child is currently on this train and has been stuck there for the last 3 hours!!! Thank god the only person killed was the one responsible for the whole tragedy!

I am sorry to hear your child was on this train. I appreciate this was probably very traumatic to some passengers, train crew, emergency services, etc.

However I would suggest you don't title your post "Selfish fool" and suggest you know for certain that the driver was responsible. What is reported in national media can and may change, and it is possible - although the chance is probably very slim - that there was some other factor at play. I don't really like to put it this way, but I also doubt any passengers onboard know exactly why the car was on the crossing (even if the "why" can eventually be answered by saying the driver swerved round the barriers). I'd imagine the onboard announcements have detailed the picture the investigators are forming in their minds. If I am definitely wrong, please let me know, as I will genuinely be happy to stand corrected.

One reason the train has been stuck for so long is, as you probably are aware, because of the position of the car under the leading power car of the train. This made casualty extraction difficult, as far as I know. And the train, line and level crossing then have to be checked for damage once the road vehicle is removed. Everything has to be made safe before any train is run. Any police and other investigations have to be dealt with. A replacement driver will be needed, I think. I hope this gives you an idea of why a wait is unfortunately needed.
 
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Goatboy

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However I would suggest you don't title your post "Selfish fool" and suggest you know for certain that the driver was responsible.

Network Rail said initial reports suggested the barrier was lowered and the driver tried to weave around it in order to cross.

I suspect it's particularly unlikely that this was anything but driver error :(
 

tsr

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I suspect it's particularly unlikely that this was anything but driver error :(

Note the "initial reports" bit. We have nothing "on paper" from NR or any other investigators.

Also, whilst any road vehicle driver swerving around the barriers in an attempt to get to the other side is breaking the law and doing something incredibly dangerous, we perhaps do not know if this was an act of suicide (someone could go round the barriers at the last minute in order to try to ensure their own death) - and if not, they probably didn't intend to cause a crash, so that bit of the situation isn't really "selfish".
 

The Planner

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It's a pity that Castle Cary -> Yeovil -> Honiton -> Exeter is not all double track so that it could be used as a diversionary route.

The curse of Beeching strikes again.
The bad decisions of years ago still come back to haunt us.

Providing TOCs and NR were willing to accept knock on delays, nothing is technically stopping them using it.
 

TEW

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Using Bristol is a better option though as it means Taunton and Tiverton Parkway can still be served, it's quicker as well and more crews sign the route than via Honiton.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I have noticed that the Night Riviera to London has been diverted via Bristol and Swindon the last few nights. Has there been any engineering at night in the area?
That's the booked route for the up Sleeper, it's used as a staff train from Swindon when it runs that way.
 

IanD

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.... - and if not, they probably didn't intend to cause a crash, so that bit of the situation isn't really "selfish".

What?? Intending to cause a crash or not, if a person deliberately swerves a set of barriers because they don't want to wait then that is "selfish" by any definition of the word.
 

tsr

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What?? Intending to cause a crash or not, if a person deliberately swerves a set of barriers because they don't want to wait then that is "selfish" by any definition of the word.

However, someone of their right mind does not kill themself out of selfishness. Terrible misjudgment, lawbreaking and even stupidity, maybe. Someone without mental health conditions is unlikely, however, to drive their car onto the crossing and think "I'm probably going to die, but I don't care about anyone on the train which is about to kill me. I only care about myself and the fact that I am doing this in order to probably end up dead and half a mile down the line."
 
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Martin nx

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Note the "initial reports" bit. We have nothing "on paper" from NR or any other investigators.

- and if not, they probably didn't intend to cause a crash, so that bit of the situation isn't really "selfish".

My definition would be, Suicide, selfish with scant disregard for the train crew/passengers and emergency crews who have to clear it up. If just impatient, stupidity beyond belief and also no thought for the people above either! If Network Rail state all systems working correctly then there is NO viable reason that a vehicle should be on that crossing! And before anyone rips me a 2nd one, I was train crew on the Western and have had 1 under my loco so do know how that poor sod on the HST feels and it a'int good! :(
 

chris89

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My definition would be, Suicide, selfish with scant disregard for the train crew/passengers and emergency crews who have to clear it up. If just impatient, stupidity beyond belief and also no thought for the people above either! If Network Rail state all systems working correctly then there is NO viable reason that a vehicle should be on that crossing! And before anyone rips me a 2nd one, I was train crew on the Western and have had 1 under my loco so do know how that poor sod on the HST feels and it a'int good! :(

I would suggest reading about Mental Health issues, Lack of Care, Having to jump through loops before calling people who commit Suicide as being selfish.

Nearly all have come to the end of there lives as they believe so and think it is the only way out to stop the suffering they go through, Especially since they are not thinking logically.

A family member of mine has attempted it a few times with drugs. So i know what is going through there minds when they try it.

For the crossing my dad when we lived in the area knew it quite well and has mentioned it had a clear line of sight of the track and the crossing.
 
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